Written by: William Rice, President of Web Marketing Association (www.webaward.org)

We all love recognition. It’s human nature to crave affirmation on a job well done. Being recognized for the work we do makes us work harder to maintain a high level of excellence and hopefully be recognized once again. That is one reason why so many brand marketers enter their work into advertising and Web site award programs.

One such award program that recognizes outstanding Web site development in 96 industries is the Web Marketing Association’s WebAward competition. For more than a decade, the WebAwards has helped set the standard of excellence for web site development and helped marketers increase brand exposure and drive site traffic.

The WebAwards is different that most other advertising and marketing award programs.
Each entry is viewed by the expert panel of judges, not just a handful of “big name” nominees that are selected in a back room. Participants receive both a great marketing opportunity if they win and everyone receives valuable feedback from the judges on each entry.

What really sets the WebAwards apart from other Web site award programs is the transparency of the program. The Web Marketing Association lets you know exactly what will be judged and your scores on each criteria.

Here’s what the WebAward judges are looking for in a successful Website:

Design – Most of us judge the book by its cover and the same goes for Web sites. If a site looks old and unsophisticated, the site will loose much of its credibility. If the design is current and up to date, then the user will be more likely to dive into the information.

Content – “Content is king” has been the mantra of most award winning Web sites. People go to Web sites for the content and if the content is missing from your site, you can bet that they’ll find it elsewhere, most likely on you competitor’s website.

Innovation – Sometimes called the “wow” factor, innovation is probably the most difficult to achieve. As soon as everyone realizes what is on your site and copies it, you have lost the innovative edge and have to come up with something new again.

Technology – Use of technology can significantly impact a Web site’s usefulness and ability to deliver its content. If a site uses too much technology, users may have to work harder to get what they are looking for. On the other hand, effective use of emerging technology can enhance the user experience by adding to the sense of innovation and “coolness”.

Interactivity – Some Web sites are designed only to supply information. Other sites use calculators or tools to take the data a user supplies and extrapolate it into useful information or employ games to improve the online experience.

Copywriting – Thousands of dollars are spent designing a site and programming a site and all too often the words used are confusing or inadequate to convey the proper meaning. However, the best sites are well written and proofread to eliminate typos.

Ease of use – In the early days, some of the “coolest” sites also were impossible to navigate. Today web sites are much better at letting the user know where they are in the site and how to find the information you are looking for. On the best Web sites, you can get to any other content on the site in three “clicks” or less.

As a participant in the WebAwards program, you receive scores on each of these criteria and your scores are benchmarked against the industry average and the overall WebAward average. In addition, many judges leave valuable comments on what they liked or disliked when reviewing the site. This can provide insight into what changes can be made in the future.

The deadline for entering the 2007 WebAwards is May 31st. The Web site is located at www.webaward.org